For patients referred by their doctors for autologous donation, we provided information on the risks and benefits of this procedure and should be given to the patient as part of the informed consent process.

The use of autologous blood is no longer recommended unless the clinical circumstances are exceptional. Exceptional circumstances may include:

• Patients with antibodies to very common blood groups (called high incidence antigens) where it is difficult to find compatible donors
• Patients with multiple antibodies where it is difficult to find compatible donors, predominantly for platelet donations
• Patients at serious psychiatric risk if blood transfusion is thought to be likely to cover their elective surgery
• Manufacture of serum eye drops

Doctors and LMCs should contact their local NZBS Transfusion Medicine specialist to discuss any such requests before committing to autologous donation.

Directed Donations

NZBS does not support the practice of directed donations other than for purely medical reasons.

More Info

• Transfusion Medicine Handbook
• Australian National Blood Authority Patient Blood Management companion guideline on autologous blood (2012)
• Australian and Anew Zealnd Society for Blood Transfusion statement on autologous blood donation (2015)